Merthyr Town owners vote against Cymru Premier move

Merthyr are three-time winners of the Welsh Cup, most recently in 1987

Merthyr Town have rejected an offer to join the Cymru Premier and will remain in the English non-league system.

The Football Association of Wales (FAW) had offered the club a deal worth up to £6m to join an expanded Welsh top-flight in 2026.

As a fan-owned club, members voted on the FAW's proposal - originally made last November.

They unanimously rejected the proposal with 96% voting against joining the Cymru Premier.

Merthyr are the only remaining non-league club from Wales in the English set-up, along with the English Football League (EFL) clubs Swansea City, Cardiff City, Wrexham and Newport County.

Merthyr announced the result of the vote having earlier in the day beaten Taunton Town 2-0 to maintain their push for promotion to the National League South.

There has been a long-held ambition among some within the FAW to bring Merthyr into the domestic scene.

Welsh football's governing body made a formal approach to the club to consider joining the Welsh top-flight, which will expand to 16 teams and include a new end-of-season split into three divisions from 2026-27.

They wrote to the club's owners outlining the compensation Merthyr would get for leaving the English system and incentives for joining the Cymru Premier.

The club, re-formed in 2010 after the original Merthyr Tydfil club that was formed in 1908 was liquidated, cherish their unique situation in the English system.

They are in a strong position to be promoted to National League South - the sixth tier of the English game.

Merthyr first played in the English system in 1909

They are currently six points clear at the top of Southern League Premier South.

The Martyrs were a Conference - now National League – club when the Football Association of Wales announced plans to form a League of Wales in 1992.

Merthyr were among a group of clubs that refused to join the league but the club were allowed to continue in the English pyramid by the FAW following a successful appeal.

"Merthyr might not have been at the top echelons of this pyramid for a long period of time but it's the hope that one day they could be," manager Paul Michael said ahead of the club's announcement.

"I think the FAW are doing the right thing in trying to improve the domestic game and we're Welsh football supporters and we want to see that league grow and we want to see it do very well.

"But the onus and the people invested in this club are in it because of the pyramid that it's in and I understand their views and their rights."

Merthyr attracted a crowd of 1,744 for a league game against AFC Totton at Penydarren Patk earlier in January.

Michael's side maintained their promotion push with Saturday's 2-0 home win over Taunton Town

"It does feel like the whole town is behind us," Michael told BBC Radio Wales Sport, before the game.

"People are starting to take an interest from the wider football community of south Wales.

"We've has some fantastic crowds but it does really feel like the whole community is behind you here.

"And that's making it a really special place to be at the moment."

Merthyr's decision to reject the invitation to join the Cymru Premier is a further blow to the FAW's plans to revamp the domestic game in Wales.

On Friday the Football Association has rejected proposals for Wales' four English Football League clubs to qualify for Europe via a Welsh domestic cup.

Cardiff City, Swansea City, Wrexham and Newport County had been working with the Football Association of Wales on plans to enter a revamped Welsh League Cup, with the winners qualifying for the Europa Conference League.

But after the EFL and some of its other member clubs raised concerns, the FA board ruled against the plans following a meeting on Thursday.